The 60’s and 70’s were great decades of development for motorcycles, especially considering engine development. After Honda raised the bar with the CB750 at the end of the 60’s, Kawasaki had no other choice but to create a bike even more powerful. In 1972, the Z1, featuring a 900cc engine was released. Thanks to the development of the mighty 4-cylinder, 4-stroke engine, the symbolic door of a liter of displacement was opened.
Following the success of the Z1, Kawasaki decided to keep the same style while adding a little more spice to the engine. In 1977, Kawasaki released the Z1000 (KZ1000 in the US), basically a Z1 with the engine bored out to 70mm instead of 66mm. This pushed the power up to 85hp against 82hp for the Z1. Unlike the Euro and UK versions, which had two disc brakes up front, the American KZ had only one – the second one was a factory option. The rear wheel had one disc as well, against the drum for the Z1. The major visible difference between the Z1 and the KZ1000 is the exhaust system, going from 4 pipes to 4-into-2. Although riders did not really appreciate this, the cost of production was cheaper for Kawasaki. The 1978 version of the Z1000 also had slightly lower handlebars compared to the 1977 version. For more information about the Kawasaki KZ1000, please refer to Kawasaki Z1.
The KZ1000 presented in this article is in great original condition, having rolled only 28k miles and been used by two owners since it got out of the dealership. The bike recently received a new battery, new rear drive train, some new tires and new shocks. Find this KZ1000 in Everett, Washington here on Craigslist for $7,500.